The present invention relates to a joining connector system formed in a pair by joining a plurality of connectors, and more particularly to a joining connector system intending to improve an assembly property by reducing an inserting force for combining the connectors.
Conventionally, in order to improve a handling property of a plurality of connectors, there is employed a joining connector system for joining connectors to each other.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Laid-open Publication No. 62-15774 discloses a connector structure employing an engaging projection and an engaging groove.
In accordance with a consideration of the inventors of the present application, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 6 and 7 are formed in connector housings 4 and 5 of two connectors 2 and 3 joined to each other in the joining connector system 1. Electric wires 10 and 11 from wire harnesses 8 and 9 are drawn into the terminal receiving chambers 6 and 7 in the respective connectors, and connected to terminals (not shown) within the terminal receiving chambers 6 and 7.
These connectors 2 and 3 are joined to each other by relatively sliding the connector housings 4 and 5 in a direction of an arrow D.
In order to perform the join mentioned above, a fitting groove 12 is formed on an outer wall in one side of the connector housing 4 of the connector 2, and a T-shaped fitting projection 13 fitting to an engaging groove 12 is formed on an outer wall of the connector housing 5 of the connector 3 corresponding to the fitting groove 12.
These fitting groove 12 and the fitting projection 13 extend along a fitting direction of the connector housings 4 and 5, and can join both of the connectors 2 and 3 as shown in FIG. 5 by fitting the fitting projection 13 to the fitting groove 12 and sliding them.
However, in the joining connector system 1 having the structure mentioned above, a gap 14 is generated between the fitting groove 12 and the fitting projection 13 as shown in FIG. 6 due to a heat contraction generated at a time of injection molding the connector housings 4 and 5 and the other reasons, a play in directions shown by arrows 16 and 17 is generated due to the gap 14, and the connector housings 4 and 5 generate a relative positional shift due to the play as shown by a broken line.
Since the connector housings 4 and 5 are shifted from a regular position so as to generate a so-called pitch shift when the play mentioned above is generated, the joining connector system 1 is interfered with an opposing connector (not shown) at a time of fitting the joining connector system 1 to the opposing connector and becomes shaky so as to be hard to be fitted. In addition, there is a case that the terminals within the terminal receiving chambers 6 and 7 can not be in contact with the terminals in the opposing connector in a good state.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a joining connector system which intends to improve an assembly property by reducing an inserting force for combining connectors and reducing a play generated between joined connector housings so as to effectively prevent a pitch shift from generating.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a joining connector system comprises: one connector having an engaging piece protruded on a connector housing thereof; and another connector having an engaging groove to which the engaging piece fits and which is formed in a connector housing thereof, the joining connector system being joined by sliding the engaging groove and the engaging piece with each other in a sliding direction. Further, in such a structure, a protrusion having a shape tapered toward the sliding direction is provided near an end portion in a side in which a join of the joining connector is finished in the sliding direction, in at least one of the engaging piece and the engaging groove.